Journey
by before.eternity
Summary: They found innocence, together they pushed through all obsticles and maybe they'll live long enough to see where it all led up to.
1. At The End

At The End… The Start of Something New

The war between the humans and the Millennium Earl had started to pick up but for every accommodator they found, the Earl created hundreds more Akuma. It was true that these new Akuma were weak but the numbers that they attacked in, it was frightening. The Millennium Earl and the Noah family were targeting Generals, already killing two of them. The Black Order knew that something had to give and either side would get the leverage they needed. Some people within the Order were getting nervous, the war was starting to get closer and closer to the headquarters. For many, they didn't know what was going on with their families, most of their families thought they had died long ago. It didn't matter though; it was still frightening to know that for all those who were fighting, it didn't seem to be making any difference. They kept their worries and their fears to themselves in fear of having someone else confirm them. The generals had left, each going to find more and more accommodators and to find more innocence. They were here, at headquarters, with only a few exorcists and many more finders. The science department was trying to find ways to help the exorcists better, to find a way to make things easier and faster for everyone. It was hard though, the pressure of keeping up with their everyday work and also the worry about those they had become close with. It was hard for everyone, the worries of their friends and make-shift families dying and not knowing or helping. It was maddening and that was what made the war so much harder and so much more painful. They all tried to keep their head up, have uplifting spirits and look to a happy future.

"Call all exorcists that are still here." Komui said.

His little sister Lenalee and the Section Leader Reever went to call all exorcists to the Supervisor's office. Reever knew that his boss was onto something and it was located in Japan, a country overrun by Akuma. There were rumors of a powerful object, which is what the Earl was desperately looking for. Komui had sent so many finders to Japan, each one sent back alive and healthy and having a great story. It would seem as though there were some people who were still fighting and protecting as much as they could. It still broke their hearts when the finders retold the story of their time in the presence of these two young people. A brother and sister with blunt evidence that they had and used their innocence to protect those around them, they seem to be doing alright even though hundreds of Akuma were targeting them. The finders have reported that these two young children had blanketed several shrines with their power, power that normal exorcists did not have. They told of the fear they felt when the siblings did not allow them to offer their assistance. As much as they feared for the safety of the siblings, they were also in awe at the power and the persistence that they fought with and the reason for their fighting. They were just children but they had more guts and heart than most grown men. In fact, they had watched as the elder of the two had almost given her life for the life of a person who had betrayed them. It had been so hard to watch, the watch her suffer but the reason behind her suffering was because she said that she never wanted to see another person suffer if she could help that.

"What's going on Komui?"

"We have found evidence concerning innocence. It's powerful and is spreading its energy around several shrines in Japan. Many groups of finders have been sent and actually returned unharmed from their mission. They all say that two siblings have been responsible for the turn of events. The finders said that these two children had power that they had never seen before and that they had innocence that they use to protect those at a shrine."

"I thought the Earl had killed all those with power in Japan." Lenalee stated.

"It's a good thing we thought wrong."

Everyone sat quietly.

"General Cross, you will take Allen, Kanda, Levi, Lenalee and Miranda with you. Toma will be your assigned finder. Come back safely and remember to find and keep the innocence safe. Do not worry about the Akuma. There will be too many for you to deal with, just bring these two children back."

As easy as this mission sounded, it would be very difficult. Japan had been overrun Akuma and all people who showed signs of having power and all who came to give aid perished painfully. If they could find and save the innocence, it would be worth the struggle they would have to go through. Something was bothering both Allen and Kanda. These two people, children even, were fighting by themselves for who knows how long because of the innocence. Most people who had innocence either did not know how to use them correctly or if at all. If that was the case and they, like all the others, how were they protecting all those people and even themselves? A rush of need swept through Allen, he knew that these people would not be able to hold off long. He still believed that an exorcist was not just a bringer of death and he wanted to prove it as he did again and again. He wanted to help save these two accommodators.

Elsewhere, in Japan, two young people worked through the crowd that found one of the protected shrines. There were so many people who had been injured or worse, had be saved by these two young people. To be saved meant that they had loved ones turn into Akuma and that they had needed to be save. The two young people were siblings, these two people were of ages nine and fourteen. These two had been raised on a shrine ground owned by their family for hundreds of years. They had been trained to be a priest and priestess by their grandfather and grandmother; they thought that by training them, they would be safer. The family had always been known to have great power; their ancestor had been an exorcist and priestess. It had been a good decision; they had learned to control and conceal their power. Both siblings had a mark, the same as their ancestor, a cross on their forehead. The only difference between most in their family, they also had this mark on their chest, above their hearts. The mark on their chest had been a seal for their family had been cursed. For every child who had been born with great power, a great evil would sleep in their souls; the mark would seal this curse. It was given to their family by the Millennium Earl because their ancestor had angered him. He knew that all those who had been born until the crescent moon of the Higurashi name would be quite powerful and he feared that power as well as coveted that power.

For two young kids to train so diligently to protect their family and keep the honor of their home alive, it was refreshing. Then all the attacks started to happen, it seemed as though there was nowhere to run. Most of the shrines had been destroyed. Kyoto had been set aflame, it was horrible. Families had been torn apart, people were dying and worse, they were suffering. It had been surprising when suddenly there had been news of safety at a shrine. People traveled far to reach this shrine and surprisingly, it was being run by children. As much as people had doubts about the two children, they could not doubt the power that they had. When people first see the children, they scoff and turn the other way until they are attacked. It is then that they see the truth, the bright light of the children's power. For the young woman, it looked as though she had angel's wings, her smoky blue eyes piercing into their souls. The young boy, he looked as though he were set aflame, his bright blue power surrounding him, his hair blowing in a nonexistent breeze. His eyes were bright, clear and they glowed as he fought.

"Higurashi-sama! Have you seen my husband?"

The youngest of the siblings, the boy, Souta was nine but had these old eyes and mature power. The situation that the two siblings had been thrown in would have caused so many others to probably throw their own lives away. Even though he was a small child, like all in his family, he had an otherworldly beauty and even more, an otherworldly power.

"No, Ishida-san. I have not seen him since the funeral."

The young woman, was twenty four and had been married since she had turned eighteen. She had been close to their family even though they didn't truly get along. Her secret hatred of them had been the moment she had found out that there had been people who could have saved her family. It didn't matter that the eldest of the children had just been born, it was the fact that these two children saved so many others but hers had died.

"I see, thank you Higurashi-sama."

Souta watched the woman walk away. He had a feeling and not a very good one either. Anytime he had bad feelings, he would discuss them with his beloved sister. She was his savior, literally. When he had been five, they had lost their father and grandmother in an accident, their car had been crushed by Akuma. They were just children and watched in horror as both their mother and grandfather turned their father and grandmother into Akuma. In his horror, his markings glowed and the barrier over his power slipped. It caused his sister to unleash her own power to protect him. They both grabbed the closest things to them. For him, he had grabbed his grandfather's staff and his sister; she had grabbed both their mother's fans and her grandmother's bow. When the weapons had glowed green, they had reacted on instinct. He had destroyed one Akuma but could only watch in awe as his sister destroyed over a hundred with just one arrow. The ground had arrows embedded at each focal point, the two siblings had combined their power to raise a barrier. It had been the last thing their grandfather had taught them, the shrine and its power and how to activate it.

"Sister!"

Souta smiled as he saw his beloved sister.

"Sister!"

Souta stopped as he looked upon a heartbreaking scene.

"Oh-no. Sister." Souta said quietly.

It was his sister, her bow was handing in front of her extended hand. Beside his sister was their cousin's cat; in front of her were their cousin and her husband. After the death of their family, his cousin Sango and her husband Miroku came to live with them. They furthered their training and brought more people over to stay. Miroku had been amazed when his sister had formed barriers around all the other shrines that the family had given gifts to. Miroku had been surprised and happy about how far they had gone through in their training. While their grandparents had wanted to teach them control, on top of that, they were forced to teach them about their holy power. It was growing, along with the powers from their innocence. The shrine had scrolls and scrolls about the Millennium Earl as well as the Shinto Priest and Priestess. For years, they had read upon these two subjects and trained until their grandparents died. Now, their cousin's husband came to teach them. It was great, their cousin Sango did not have the power that the siblings did but she did have the same looks as most did in their family. She was a fighter though; she fought side by side with her husband, a man who had holy powers. Souta knew that he and his sister was thankful for their direction and beside that, Sango had taught his beloved sister how to cook and sew, thank goodness. They didn't have money to buy groceries and it was too dangerous anyways, they went out onto their property to hunt or in their garden. It was a saving grace that his sister had a green thumb and wasn't squeamish to blood and guts.

"Souta, I am sorry but I couldn't save them."

"What happened?"

"Inuyasha had turned Kikyo into an Akuma. She had killed Sango and Miroku but I could not be fooled. With our jewels and our power, we can see the souls. It makes me angry, she was not upset about any of this, not about killing Inuyasha, about taking the lives of those who were close to her."

Souta cried for his sister. A long time ago, since before the family had died, his sister refused to cry. She said that crying did nothing to ease the pain she felt when dealing with the Akuma or when she lost friends or family. She had once told him that because she could not seem to find the key to her heart, he was to mourn for her and right now, he was mourning in her place. She had been friends with Inuyasha and eventually with Kikyo. They were a bit older than they were, Inuyasha had been the same age as Miroku, who had just turned eighteen and Kikyo was almost twenty four. His sister had a child's crush on Inuyasha, who wouldn't when you are saved constantly by the same person. You get a type of hero's complex and his sister had developed a small one for the man. Instead of turning his sister away, Inuyasha had used his beloved sister, using her power and her kindness until she had none to give. It was only when he had seen her power that he had changed but it was too late. His sister had locked and thrown the key of her heart away. She said once that she would be free when the man who caught and brought that key back asked to be the shelter she craved for. Souta was not blind, he knew that his sister was hurting, hurting because she couldn't even mourn for her two family members that had been killed or a friend who had tried to repent for the wrongs he had done in his life.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, Kikyo was as weak in life as she was in death. The Akuma she had been turned into was weak, far weaker than any we had dealt with."

Souta rolled his eyes.

"I'm not surprised."

"Prepare, tonight we will fight. Take the children and the others into the shrine house; place your barrier around it."

"Alright sister. Do you know who?"

"It's Ishida-san. Her husband died yesterday, she is making her husband into an Akuma as we speak."

Souta now knew what the feeling had been.

"Yes sister."

"Hurry Souta, let us save all who came for shelter."

Souta smiled. His sister was the greatest ever. Without turning around, he rushed to do as his sister requested. If Souta had turned, he would have seen his sister flare her power but he sure did feel it and rushed to get her request done. By the time he had gotten all of the people into the shrine house, his sister had fought and killed so many, hundreds. Running as fast as he could, he rushed to her side destroying many Akuma. Ever since he could remember, they had always fought side by side and back to back. It was probably the only reason they were still alive. It was another that had been instilled within their training. One can do a satisfactory job but with a partner or as a team, they can exceed to greatness.

"Sister, I love you."

"I know Souta. I love you as well."

They always told each other this before going into battle. They never knew if they would survive or if they would die. They weren't afraid of death, not really but they did fear never telling the other that they loved one another and that they would see each other in the next life. It had been a fear since they hadn't told their family that when they had died, they thought that their family died without knowing just how much they loved them and just how much they were missed. It had broken both their hearts but they knew, they knew that if they prayed enough and if they told each other, maybe their feelings would travel toward their family. That they would be forgiven and that they would not suffer. It was the biggest regret that they had, the thought that their family died without knowing just how much they loved them. Their mother was such a strong woman, strong in spirit but weak emotionally, obviously. Their grandfather had been married for sixty eight years before he lost his wife, the grief had been too much. They didn't blame them for turning their father and grandmother into Akuma, just that they wished their family had been a little stronger. It was hard, they were too young to be on their own.

For Master Cross and his team, getting into Japan had been ridiculously easy and it was easier to find the siblings. It wasn't very hard, all you had to do was to follow the hundreds of Akuma floating in the sky and head in the same direction. The bright glow that shot in the sky was another sign. It wasn't like the bright white that the innocence gave off nor was it the fire when the Akuma were destroyed. This was a pale blue or a sharp pink color. The feel gave each of them chills.

"What do you see?"

Allen Walker, apprentice to Master Cross, he was a young man, and cursed by the person he looked up to as a father. In a moment of fear and uncertainty, he turned that man into an Akuma. He was cursed because of his selfishness but that curse was also a gift. He was able to see the souls within the Akuma. The thing was that these two people he could see, they weren't Akuma and never before had his eye shown him living people like this before.

"Two people, they are… wait… they are in the middle of hundreds of Akuma!"

"Hurry!" Lenalee cried out.

By the time they got to the siblings, there weren't even any more Akuma. The siblings were done fighting and the carnage surrounding them was astonishing. Two siblings had taken out all of them. They had weapons that had innocence and on their forehead, they both had innocence there. It was pretty to look at, different than what the innocence looked like in Allen's hand or in weapons. Speaking of weapons, the sibling's weapons looked old. The young boy had a staff with gold rings that dangled from its decorative piece on the top of it. The young woman had a bow, a long bow with beautiful designs etched into its body. Both were carrying swords but those weapons did not have innocence.

"Who are you?" The young boy asked.

"My name is Cross Marian, the boy is my idiot apprentice Allen Walker, beside him was Yu Kanda. The two women are Lenalee Lee and Miranda Lotto and the red head is Lavi. We are exorcists with the Black Order."

"Oh, hello. My name is Souta Higurashi and this is my sister, Kagome."

The young woman was walking around touching each Akuma, they were disappearing. Allen, who could see souls, could see the souls as they departed into the afterlife. She didn't stop or turn to look at them. She didn't seem to care that they were there either. It was like she couldn't be bothered with them, like they were unimportant. He didn't know why but it bothered him quite a bit. He was used to people ignoring him, his own parents abandoned him when he was a small child because of his deformed arm but this, this girl was ignoring him and he didn't like that one bit.

"Hello, my name is Allen Walker."

Allen was in awe when she turned and looked at him. Her eyes were so blue; he noticed that her eyes were darker than her brother's but no less intense. In fact, he could swear that she was looking into his own soul. He wondered what she saw when she looked, if she could look into his soul. He was always afraid that his soul was tainted or starting to become tainted because of who was trying to break free.

"Hello Allen Walker. I am Kagome Higurashi, it's nice to meet you."

Allen smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, do you need any help?"

"I would like that. There are people who have been hurt, do you know first aid?"

Allen nodded. He walked with Kagome to the shrine house. He had so many questions, so many. He wondered how she was able to fight so many Akuma and yet, not seem affected by that fact. In fact, she wasn't wounded nor was her brother. They didn't seem scared or upset about the attack. It was like an everyday thing for these two people. Instead of worrying about themselves or even taking a break or a rest, they kept pushing through. He hadn't seen someone so willing to give before and it touched his heart to know that there were people out there who not only cared but cared enough to help their neighbor or someone they didn't know. If only there were more people out there like that.

"Would you and your brother come with us? Back to the Black Order?"

"Black Order? What about those here?"

"We can help them, bring them out of Japan."

"I see."

Allen put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. He turned her to look at him, she needed to know that there were so many others that needed her help. He could feel the stares at the back of his head. It made him nervous but at the same time, the weight of their stares felt like the weight of all those who needed his help, who could not help or save themselves from the Akuma. The only person who made him worried was his master; he was a pretty horrible womanizer.

"Please, come with us. There are so many who need our help."

Kagome stared at Allen. He really believed that they could fight and protect every person they came in contact with. It really broke her heart, staring into his eyes. She turned her head and looked at her brother, this would be his decision as well. It was his life too. They had done everything together, since they had both gone through training. Seeing her beloved brother nod, she turned back to Allen. The thought she had in her head was how could see, a fourteen year old girl help the Black Order? She could barely protect those around her. It was a miracle that they survived this long.

"Alright, we will come help in your war."

Allen stared for a moment before smiling widely at her. This made him so happy, now they had two more people and for him, two more friends. She seemed nice but sad and Allen wanted to make her smile once in a while.

"So, what is your weapon?"

"My brother and I have three separate innocence pieces in our possession. I have four."

"THREE?"

Kagome nodded as she stopped in front of the other exorcists.

"Yes, we have our main weapons which you have seen us use. The others are the mark on our forehead; we were born with them as well as the mark on our chest. We were born with that as well. So far, we are the only ones in our family who had been born with the marks on our chest."

Everyone looked at the General with question.

"Hey, General Cross, have you ever heard of an accommodator with more than one innocence?"

Cross thought about it, other than himself not really. It was then that he remembered a woman, well, the story of a woman. She had been powerful, amazingly kind and beautiful. The stories of this woman had been told for years, from the beginning of her time as an exorcist to the time when she had disappeared for over a year. Cross could remember listening to her story, when she had been found fighting against the Earl and dying because of him, but not before giving the Earl a very serious wound that sent him into the shadows for about seventy years. What the woman left behind was her legacy, twin babies.

"Yes, there was one. She died long ago but she had two. Her name was Midoriko."

"She is our ancestor." Souta said.

Cross nodded. He had figured that when he saw the mark on their forehead and the young girl had her weapon as well. He had seen a picture of her with her weapon fighting against the Earl. Thinking about it, he wondered if they had her skills as well. She had been so powerful until she had disappeared. It had been a year or so later that she had been found fighting against the Earl. The stories had ranged from her running away to live her life with someone she had fallen in love with. Some say that she had children with an enemy and had died because of it. They were all stories but he knew that whatever happened, these two were full of surprises.

"Let's just get back. I hate wasting time." Kanda said.

"You can go on ahead. My sister and I need to finish our duties to these people."

The exorcists just stared. It seemed as though these two kids had agreed to go with them, they still wouldn't abandon those they were already helping. Allen moved to give his support in helping these two with whatever they needed. It hadn't taken long and all those still at the shrines understood the reason they were leaving and wished them luck. A few brave people said that they would help; they had acted as finders already so it wouldn't really be any different. General Cross stared at the shimmering barrier. He had wondered how they ever made it. Exorcists couldn't really make a barrier like the one the two siblings had all over Japan. For one, they didn't even seem to notice that it was there and it didn't drain their power or their stamina was really good. Many of them thought that if they had a barrier around the headquarters, it would put peace and ease into many of the scientists, finders and exorcists that lived there.

"So what's the plan?" Souta asked his sister.

She looked at Souta, her baby brother, with a soft look. He was the reason she hadn't broken down or lost her mind through all of this. Not once did she tell anyone but the loss of her family had nearly killed her, but to destroy them… it had taken a piece of her soul, locked it away inside of herself. The more she thought about it though; she knew she had made the right choice because if not, they would have killed Souta. Ever since he had been born, Kagome had felt this connection to her brother that went farther than just brotherly love. Kagome could feel where her brother was, even if he was miles away. They could feel each other's emotions sometimes. Right now, she could feel that her brother was nervous and a bit fearful.

"We are going to pack, say our prayers and leave. The exorcists are right; there are many other who need our help. We should help those who cannot help themselves, it is only right."

Souta nodded, turned around and ran into the house. In the end, they had to leave their homes anyway, not that he really minded. Even though they had purified the house, it still gave him the creeps. The holes were patched up and the walls were washed but the memory of their family turning into Akuma and also, the horrible screeching. He still got nightmares and sometimes, he would crawl into his sister's bed and cry himself to sleep. Sometimes, he wanted to be selfish and keep his sister to himself but he knew, he saw the way that others had suffered. If he could, he would take away everyone's suffering. He wanted to take his sister's suffering away, she didn't show it but he could feel it. He could feel her sorrow and her pain.

"This is your home?" Lenalee asked.

Kagome nodded as she walked through the halls. She had done her best to clean it up but sometimes, sometimes you don't have to see the horror to know it was there. She had never once let anyone else come into her home except for Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha and Kikyo had tried but she had refused to allow them inside. Right now, she figured that this was no longer her home so it didn't matter anymore. Turning to the others, she quietly asked if they could go with her brother to watch over him as he packed. He was so much more attached to the home than she was. The others left to do as she asked except for Kanda who would stay outside to be the watchman. General Cross, at the thoughts of being around such a historic place, especially with the knowledge of the old exorcist Midoriko, he would go around and do some research. The other was Allen, he just stared at her. It was as though he knew what she was thinking and feeling. He didn't like the thought of her being so depressed or the feeling of self doubt that flowed through her body.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked.

"It's nothing, I'm just lost in my thoughts." Kagome said softly.

Allen just followed after the younger girl. He didn't know why but he felt as though she was holding something back from them. She looked so sad, so afraid. It shouldn't be on a face such as hers. Stopping at the doorway of her room, he saw what she probably wanted to keep to herself. She was sitting on the windowsill, her window open with the moon shining so brightly. Allen couldn't stop himself. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. For someone so small, to find another who was small than he was, it was just weird. She fit nicely, he hadn't hugged anyone in a long time and worse, he hadn't been held in a long time so when her arms came around his torso, it brought tears to his eyes. Bending his head, he whispered in her ear and unknowingly, spoke the words she had so longed to hear. No one had tried to comfort her fears, it was always her giving someone else comfort. Just once, just once she had wanted to be comforted.

"Don't cry. I promise things will be alright, you're not alone anymore. We can all help you, protect your brother and bring down the Earl. I'll protect you."

"How can I help you? I can barely take care of my brother much less myself. I'll just get in the way. I don't know what to do. I can't… I can't think straight. I couldn't even save my own family."

"It's okay though, someone once told me that we're in this together. You don't have to put the whole world on your shoulder, you can lean on mine."

Kagome and Allen were so into their own conversation and world that they didn't notice they had an audience. Standing at the doorway was Souta as well as the other exorcists. The scene was so touching to them but to Souta it was a miracle. His sister, his beloved sister was crying. She hadn't cried since before they had to purify their family. Maybe this was the right decision because if this one person could heal his sister so easily, imagine what else they could do. His sister was strong but maybe this guy was stronger and his sister could lean on his shoulder. Maybe, just maybe, this guy held the key that his sister threw away so many years ago. It would be a dream come true if this guy could help his sister. For so long, she had depended only on herself. She worried about his wellbeing and the wellbeing of all the others who had taken shelter within their home. No one had ever cared about her and when he asked or tried to, she would just give him a small smile and tell him that it was her job to take care of him not the other way around. It was the one thing that just irritated him. Although she was the older sibling and she had taken care of him and taught him about using his power more efficiently, it didn't mean that he couldn't do the same. She was a child just like him, why did it matter who was born first. They were family and family helped each other. She didn't need to take the whole world on her shoulders. Souta guessed that was why he was so angry when his sister tried to be like their mother. He didn't remember her too much, most of his memories of his mother were becoming blurred but he remembered hearing her reprimand Kagome a lot. Always told her that her first and only duty was to protect and love her brother. Kagome took that to heart, beat herself up over it and had nightmares about their mother's disappointment in her.


	2. A New Beginning

A New Beginning…

It had taken a whole two weeks for all of them to even leave the shrine and another four weeks to get out of Japan. To Kanda, it would have been so much faster if they had just left the twenty four new finders that wanted to come and help the siblings as much as they had helped their family and friends. When he had voiced that opinion, not only did he get to hear the mouth of Allen Walker, the beansprout, but also Kagome Higurashi, the newest exorcist. The only good thing that came out of this mission was the fact that not only did they get two new exorcists with three or more pieces of innocence each but they had found another two pieces of innocence. They learned about the marks on their chests. It was to seal a curse that had been given to their family from the Millennium Earl. No one really knew about it but they got the gist of it all, from the gift and the curse. To Kanda, Lenalee and Lavi; Kagome and Souta were just like Allen. They were cursed but it benefitted them more than it did harm them. For Kagome and Souta, they were able to find and extract innocence so much faster and easier. For Allen, he could see the souls of Akuma so any human disguised as an Akuma would not be able to hide from him. The Higurashi siblings were trained as a Shinto priest and priestess. They were able to create barriers and purify whole towns, which kept Akuma out of them. Both Higurashi siblings could see inside of a person's soul, dead or alive, human or demon. They could see the difference between a human and a Noah. That was helpful.

"Good Morning!" Komui cried out.

Kagome held Souta behind her, her sword drawn in front of her. She had been very on edge ever since they left the safety of the shrine. They hadn't noticed how at peace they had felt until they left the shrine grounds. It had been a shock, one that they weren't prepared to feel and had a hard time adjusting to. It was those nice weeks that they had seen just what a family was like. It obviously wasn't what they were used to, this family was close and they felt as though they were intruding in something sacred. It was shocking to see these two children, not that Kagome was much younger than Allen, only a year's difference, but these two children worked together. Souta would go with Kagome to go catch dinner for them all and amazingly, they always caught more than enough for them all. The two would sit together as Kagome prepared the food for them, talking about the past and the future, their dreams and their nightmares. They watched the two siblings, how they interacted with the new finders as well as each other. These people had dedicated their lives to making it easier for the Higurashi children. They were so thankful to them, even if they had to destroy Akuma that were once loved ones. It must have been hard but for these twenty four souls, they were grateful and did not want to stray from the two that had saved their lives, the lives of their friends and the souls that belonged to their most loved ones. No one had to suffer and these two made sure that no one else would suffer even if they had to suffer in their place. No one wanted to come between them, it seemed so wrong but they also wanted to get to know these two more. There was one thing that they had been shocked about and it was Kagome's protectiveness over her little brother.

"Komui step back." Allen said before he turned toward Kagome.

He had been the only one that could snap her out of a rage and when she raged, the mountains shook, the stars dimmed and the world turned cold. She had a nasty temper as well. It had been because of that first night, he had won her trust and because of that trust, he had been allowed the luxury to get anywhere close to them. It had been hard during one attack, there were so many Akuma and they had been injured, well mostly Kagome had been injured as well as Kanda. Lenalee had been trying to protect Souta, not that he really needed protection but she had tried to protect those she believed didn't have too much experience in fighting Akuma. Kagome had stood in front of them, her arrow pointing toward the hoard of Akuma. It had been frightening. To Allen and Lavi it had been done in slow motion. Kanda had dropped down to one knee after fighting with a level two Akuma, he hadn't gotten up from the latest attack. Kagome, being the closest, jumped in front of Kanda. The Akuma's hand went through her stomach and out her back. The gasp and scream she released had shook them through to the bone. That had caused Allen to snap, he rushed from beside Lenalee and Souta, his arm extended to catch Kagome. She had smirked, her bow slicing through the level two Akuma. Allen had watched as her eyes locked onto his, she gave him a soft smile before falling into his arms. Kagome had been unconscious for four days and in those four days no one was allowed to come near her, not even her beloved brother. It was hard for them. The finders were panicked; they tried to make things easier and more comfortable for them. The children had given each finder several ofuda, which had been pumped full of their power. When the finders had placed the wards around the campsite, no one was allowed out or in, which was why several finders had gone for food. They didn't know how long they would be stuck here. General Cross had been surprised when it had taken the girl only four days to recover, the only one he knew who could heal that fast was Kanda and even then, it was different but it was all due to the curse and the innocence the children had embedded into their bodies. It wouldn't allow the children to die, not really because the innocence had been placed with holy powers, given to them by their ancestor kept the evil from taking over their dead bodies.

"Kagome, this is Komui Lee, he is our supervisor. He is not here to harm you."

Kagome looked at Komui and then at Allen. She stared hard into his eyes before nodding. She lowered her sword, stepped aside and bowed deeply to the young man in front of her. As much as she trusted Allen, she would not allow anything or anyone to harm her baby brother. It was her job to protect him. When Komui had stepped closer, she narrowed her eyes at him, grabbing her little brother and stepping back and straight into Allen. He wrapped his arms around her body, holding her and giving her the comfort she needed. It had been like this since they had first met at the shrine. In truth, he looked for all different times so that he could be near her or to touch her. His friends had asked about it, asked him what he was thinking or doing but he couldn't answer them. All he could say was that he liked the feeling she gave off. It had insulted most of them, it was like he was saying that the way they made him feel was so much better than how all of them had made him feel and they had been with him for a while. They could understand though, they kept him at an arm's reach knowing that he was much different from the rest of them. For one, he was cursed and the second, apparently he had the fourteenth Noah. It didn't change who he was but it made him nervous and they didn't like that. Most of the people in the order tried to have control over some part of their lives since they didn't have any control of most of it.

"We have to go see Hevlaska. Please trust me."

Kagome nodded, letting Allen direct both herself and Souta through the Black Order Headquarters. The others stood there, shocked. No matter how long they had traveled together, it was still a shock to see. No one truly listened to Allen, not unless it had to do with Akuma, because he was just a boy but these two siblings, they trusted him to lead them forward on the right path. Lavi had learned not to mess with Kagome, he had tried at first but he had met her slap and Allen's fist and of course the finders who had stared at him with such hatred… it was worse on the boy Souta, he looked at him like he could kill. Kanda could tell something had changed for the bean sprout. He fought differently, most strategically and with so much more power than before. General Cross had seen the difference as well. Allen was maturing in both body, spirit and mind. His anti-Akuma weapon was growing at an accelerated rate. Before Allen would stop when he had reached his limit, the pain limiting him but now, now it was different. He knew who he was protecting, who he wanted to protect and it pushed him farther. Never before had he seen or heard of an exorcist whose power could grow like that. It was extraordinary but he still thought that his stupid apprentice could do better.

Out of all of these who thought Allen was doing amazing and amazed at the power and the diligence he was putting forth, the only one who was upset about it was Lenalee. She had been the first woman that Allen had become friends with and she thought that this girl, this new girl was taking him away from her. Not once in her mind did she think about the others or about this mission. She thought about all the times that Allen would sit next to the newest exorcist instead of next to her. She thought about all the times Allen would talk to the newest exorcist instead of with her or the rest of the group. He rushed to that girl's side instead of staying next to her. She knew that the others had blown it off, he was being nice but she knew. She could see the difference in him and she wanted to know what made these two, especially the girl, so much better than the rest of them. She wondered if it was because they were cursed and could understand each other more. She hated his cursed eye and told him that so many times and now, he had found someone else who was cursed and shared that fate.

"Lenalee! I was soo worried about you. Why would you stay away from me for soo long?"

No one paid attention to Komui, they walked past him and into the headquarters. There was so much in their minds right now and for most, they wanted to get more information about the newest exorcist. They were really all weary of Kagome, the oldest of the siblings, she was serious and if best explained, paranoid. She thought that everyone was out to get her little brother but considering, it was justified. Men of the older families in Japan had come asking for her hand in marriage, they would wait until she was of proper age but they wanted to have her into their families. When she had turned them down, multiple times, they started to get desperate. Sometimes, they would pose as wounded people to get into the shrines that the siblings were at and would threaten to harm or even kill the people they were taking care of. The exorcists had been present to witness that and it wasn't a pretty sight. The worst was when, during a desperate moment, two people had grabbed Souta. They had wanted to force Kagome to make a decision and she did. Normally everyone would have shied away from violent actions toward humans but in this case, they hadn't minded. It wasn't as though Kagome had killed them, might as well have though, they would never walk on their own again.

"Section Leader!" Lavi cried out. "Have you seen Allen and Kagome?"

Reever stared at the group in front of him. He had a stack of papers as usual, of course most of it was on what was going on in Japan. He had overheard what had happened with Hevlaska, it had been a shock. Not only did the siblings have three innocence pieces in their possession but they also collected two more. Hevlaska had tried to retrieve the two pieces of innocence that were imbedded in their body, the innocence itself reacted. Not once had the innocence reacted that way before and it had caused so much stress and confusion. The accommodators themselves felt immense pain, the marks glowing and the smoking. It caused Hevlaska to release her hold on the innocence. Once that had happened, the marks stopped glowing and the siblings fell to their knees panting. Reever looked at the other exorcists and smirked. He knew that these two siblings would change everything for them. For one, just like Allen, Hevlaska had told both of them that they would be the destroyers of time. For the girl, Kagome, Hevlaska had told her that she was the heart and that she would be the light in dark times. For Souta, she had told him that though his part was small; his warmth would bring salvation to those who had been left to wander. It was also great to have two more parasite exorcists; they had the rawest form of power.

"Allen has taken them to see Jerry. The young boy was complaining that he was hungry."

Lavi sighed, he should have known.

"Well come on then, let's go find Allen."

In the dining hall, Allen sat next to Kagome and Souta. He had just been told about the innocence that was imbedded in their bodies. Their synchronization rate had been at 92 percent for Kagome and a 78 percent for Souta. It had been more than he thought a person could have, except for the generals but they had quite a long time to train. He had felt so honored when Kagome had demanded that he stay by her side and the side of her beloved brother. When Komui had requested that he leave, Kagome had spoken. She had told him that if he thought she would be here, alone, without someone she trusted then he was as stupid as he looked. That if he thought to bear down his needs on her or the needs of the Catholic Church on their shoulders and lives, then she would take her brother and leave. Komui didn't want to lose two new exorcists so he gave in to her whims. Allen had been given a look into Kagome's soul as she opened her inner self to Hevlaska and he was horrified at her past and touched by her will to keep on going because that was all she could do. It had been an eye opener, how many people could honestly say that they would give up their lives, without regrets, because that was the right thing to do. Allen, himself, couldn't say that he would do that, to die for others without regrets. Sure he had regrets but to die for the sake of doing something right, it wasn't something he would be willing to do.

"Are you really going to finish all that?"

Allen just stared at Kagome and Souta. Both of them had just as much of food as he did but they also ate just as much as him. He thought that no one would have been able to eat as much but he was wrong. The younger boy, Souta, had eaten all of his food, some of Kagome's and now was wanting his. He didn't mind but he would have liked to eat his own food. Oh well, it didn't matter.

"Go ahead Souta. Afterwards, let's go check out your rooms."

Souta stopped eating, his chopsticks between his lips. He looked nervous; he didn't want to be separated from his sister. Turning toward his sister, he stared at her with frightened eyes. Of course she understood but really, she didn't know what she could do. She was worried as well. There were so many rooms in this place and she didn't want to be far from him but would be alright if they did have separate rooms. It was kind of annoying sometimes, especially when she was on her monthly and it was embarrassing. She really didn't want to have any type of discussion like that with her little brother for a long time. In fact, she wouldn't want to have a discussion like that with him ever. Kagome placed her hand on his head and turned to Allen.

"I hope we are able to stay together but if not, very close. I do not trust others here yet; I do not want to take that chance."

Allen nodded; he had a feeling that she would want that so he had spoken to his master. His master had been kind, allowing both Kagome and her brother in the same hall as he was. There were the four rooms that were in his hall. Kanda had one and now, the two siblings would be near him and near each other. It made him feel better, he didn't want to be separate from those two either and if he had to, he knew he could trust Kanda with more than his life. As much of an ass as he was, Kanda, was honorable and knew that he understood their worry, plus it helped that they were from Japan as well.

"You are in the same hall as I am. Your rooms are next to mine as well as Kanda's room."

Souta sighed happily. He might not be able to share a room with his sister but he was, at least, close to her and if needed, he knew that his sister would allow him in her room. He looked around the room and saw some of the finders that had come along with him and his sister. He knew that they must be overwhelmed and went over to sit next to them. It was a strange and new thing for all of them; he knew that if he was feeling homesick and alone, that they must be too. He looked back and saw his sister staring at him so of course; he winked at her and gave her a little wave. His sister looked much lighter here than at their old home. Old home, they hadn't even been away from it for long and just got to the headquarters but he already thought of this place as home. Kind of funny, he didn't think of the home he grew up in as home. Could it be because of the bad memories? Or maybe because there were so many others who lived there as well… it couldn't be that because so many people lived here too.

"Higurashi-sama, are you alright?"

Souta turned and looked at the new finder, a good friend of his. He had been the person he went to when his sister was out fighting. A lot of times, his sister had him stay and protect the people staying at the shrines. They traveled throughout all the shrines that they protected, it was hard a lot and most times, they were separated but this one person stayed by him when his sister couldn't. He was two years older than his cousin's husband and had lost his children. Souta knew that this man thought of them like they were his children. He didn't replace his children with them but Souta knew that sometimes, it made him feel better and a couple of times, Souta had slipped father toward him.

"Naraku-san, do you think we made the right decision?"

Naraku, he had always been a silent and clever person. He had always been able to get them through all types of hardship. Kagome had spoken to him about her plans multiple times and knew that he had developed a crush on Kikyo. Kagome had thought Kikyo was a bitch to play with his emotions but Naraku soon discovered the truth and dropped her. It was probably another reason why Kikyo hated Kagome; people would rather stay by his sister's side. Souta felt bad for him, he had lost his wife and his children due to the Millennium Earl and then to be strung out by Kikyo. At least he was loved by the two of them. Souta smiled sadly when he looked at Naraku, he had burn marks from the neck down because he had tried to save the children that had died a while ago. He had suffered so that four children could have a chance to live out their lives. He knew that Naraku regretted not being able to save them and thought that being scarred the way he was, it was a way to atone for his failure. Souta and his sister didn't believe that at all, they had been so scared that he would lose his life too and that they would lose someone else that was close to them.

"I think that you did. You've helped me and so many other people but that was just in Japan. Imagine all the others who need your help. Your sister has thought about this and made the right decision. Just remember Souta, sometimes the right path is the hardest to travel on."

Souta looked at Naraku with an annoyed look.

"I hate when you talk like that papa. You don't have to be so… weird."

Naraku laughed. He really did love both Souta and Kagome like they were his own. They made the hurt not so bad and sometimes, he could see his wife and children. The longer he stayed next to them, it seemed like he was healing. For a short while, he had been so angry with them. His wife had turned his daughter into an Akuma and the Higurashi siblings had purified her soul. He hadn't known at the time but that was not his wife or his child anymore. He hadn't thought about the pain his daughter was going through and it was because of them that he had thought and discovered why they fought so hard. For the last five years, since before their family had died, he had stayed with them. He didn't have a home anymore; it had been destroyed by the Akuma so they had invited him to stay with them. He was good with getting information and secrets; it was what helped them so far.

"What does Kagome think?"

Souta looked sad; he knew that his sister felt responsible for the death of so many people even though it wasn't her fault.

"She's sad, it hurts sometimes. I wish I could help her papa but she's so stubborn! She thinks that she has to deal with it by herself and she doesn't. Doesn't she know that I'm right there with her? That you're right there too?"

Naraku frowned.

"Think of this Souta. Your sister loves you and doesn't want to put any more stress or any more problems on your life. Imagine being in her shoes, knowing that there were so many paths she could take but not knowing if the path she is currently on is the right one. She doesn't want you to get hurt or to feel pain. Even if it's not her fault, the Akuma and the Earl are evil and have a way of manipulating people to feel at their worst. Maybe Souta, maybe you aren't the person who will make her smile. You are her beloved brother, but maybe, just maybe, she needs someone who can heal her heart. You are everything to her but she needs that separate pillar. Maybe she needs to find that someone who can give her the comfort of a lover, not a brother."

"Papa, she's only fourteen." He said annoyed.

"And you are nine. The life you both are living, age doesn't play a major role anymore. There are so many others who are older than the two of you and yet, they don't have the responsibility that you both have."

Souta sighed. He understood that, growing up the way that he did, you learn a lot in a short amount of time. There were others who didn't live the way he did and got to grow up differently. Sometimes he was envious of their lives but if he had to search deep down, he knew that he wouldn't trade any of this for anything. His sister needed him to have her back, to fight by her side but he could only protect one side so she needed to find that other person. Turning back to look at his sister, maybe she already found that person. Not once had he ever seen her look so at peace. It was a nice look, she was tense as hell but she didn't feel comfortable here yet but she would. She would find a home here too.

Back with Kagome, she had been feeling all the things her brother felt and she was confused. At first, he was sad, then he was pissed and finally he felt content… maybe her brother was bipolar or something. It didn't matter but watching him sit there with Naraku, it brought such happy feelings. She remembered when she had first met the man. She had just learned about what the mark on her chest had meant. She had cried and cried, she didn't want evil living inside of her soul. It had been a very chilling night. The air was cold, and damp. She remembered the screams from down the street, it had been horrible. A barely born Akuma, the soul crying so loudly that she couldn't ignore it. She rushed there, beside a man laying face down in the pavement. It had been a hard exorcism; the man hadn't a clue as to what happened. It had taken all night long to explain everything to him; it had been when she asked if he had wanted his daughter to suffer the way she was. If he was so selfish as to let her daughter live as a toy, a slave to the Millennium Earl's evil will.

"What are you thinking about?"

She had forgotten about him, the person who had brought her with him, with his group. It was true that she didn't trust the rest of the group, especially with girl and the general. He didn't seem to give a rat's ass about the others in his team and wanted to see just how far they could go without assistance. For so many years, she had seen others do the same thing with horrible consequences. Kikyo used to do that, just stand there watching as everyone around her fought to protect their loved ones or people who couldn't help themselves. In the end, she had cost them a great deal. Because of her unwillingness to help others, a group of children had lost their lives and on top of that, she had lost hers as well. It wasn't in the same attack but it had been close together. Kikyo didn't really have power, she just knew people who did. It had been so heartbreaking, the night that those poor children had died. Kagome blamed herself for not standing up to Inuyasha and making him take his girl away from their shrine. Instead, she had coward her views for his and because of that, four children had died. Kagome jumped from her thought to another, the girl, Lenalee. She was sure that girl was a strong fighter but at the same time, the girl wasn't strong. She let her emotions rule her life. Her jealousy was visible and the Earl loved to prey on people like that. She couldn't and wouldn't take any chances.

"The past." Kagome said quietly. "I have many regrets."

Allen understood, he had many regrets as well. It didn't change anything to have them but it still weighed heavy on his mind. He looked in the direction Kagome was staring; of course, her eyes were on her little brother. He didn't have any siblings so he didn't know how deep the love went and how much a person would and will sacrifice for that person. He was sure that Kagome would do anything for her brother. He had seen it first hand during their trip back to headquarters. When her brother had been in danger, she hadn't thought about her actions. It made her reckless but the passion and the rage she put behind her attacks, it had been astounding. He had feared a bit, she was such a firecracker. At the same time though, he knew that she would do the same for all those who had won her loyalty. He would have liked to think that she trusted him and that she would show loyalty as he was trying to show. He felt connected to her in some way. They were both cursed; both had hard pasts and had people use them. Allen did fear something, he feared telling her that he was also the fourteenth Noah, that he had the same darkness that the Earl had. If she found out, would she treat him differently like everyone else did? He had hoped not, it broke his heart to be treated differently because people feared him but he didn't want her to find out from someone else.

"I understand." He said softly.

Kagome gave him a soft smile.

"Will you come with me?" Allen asked. "I want to show you something."

Of course, Kagome had nodded. She had a feeling of what he would talk about; it wasn't like she couldn't see his soul and its counterparts. If he was trying to keep it a secret, he was failing because everyone spoke about it. Of course it was in hushed tones but she could still hear them.

It had been a couple of hours since they got to the Black Order Headquarters and even though they had been shown around and met a lot of people, they were still very uncomfortable here. There were strange sounds, the science department, and you could hear whispers throughout the building. Kagome spent over an hour in her brother's room, securing it to her standards and to get him to rest. The rooms were of decent size, the same as their rooms at their old home, beautifully decorated and above all else, it was theirs. After Kagome got her beloved brother to bed, she sat and waited in her room. Allen had told her that he would come get her when everyone else had turned in to rest. She hadn't waited long before she heard a soft knock on her door. Gently, she opened the door and met with a stunned Allen. Kagome didn't find the need to dress in her exorcist outfit but be comfortable because most likely, she would want to crawl into bed and rest. She wasn't going to go through the hassle of trying to dress herself for bed. It wasn't like she was wearing anything inappropriate. She was wearing a sleeping yukata, she had worn it for years and sometimes, she even had to fight in one. That was annoying but hey, that's the way things go. With quiet words, she followed Allen toward his secret destination. Apparently it was very secret since he was the only person in the Order who could get here.

"What did you want to show me?"

Allen led Kagome to a piano, a white piano and started to play. She didn't understand the reason he was showing her that he could play but she sat down anyway and watched his fingers glide around the keys. When she looked up, Kagome could see the notes that he was playing. She shouldn't be able to read these notes, they weren't sheet notes and she didn't know how to read music either. Taking this as another stone upon her shoulders, she ignored it for now.

"I'm glad you can play the piano, it's soothing." Kagome whispered.

Allen looked at her, stopped playing and turned to face her. He had so much to tell her, so much that he needed her to know. He wanted her to trust him and to be able to depend on him like she depended on the twenty four finders she had brought with her. His fingers began to play again and with a soft gasp, he was amazed when her fingers came to play as well. There were two sets of notes, he had played the alto notes and she, she played the soprano notes. He hadn't heard them together but now, the song sounded so much more complete.

"I know you can see souls of humans and Akuma. You can see the difference between a human and a Noah. Kagome, I am the fourteenth Noah."

Kagome looked into his eyes. He was scared that she wouldn't accept him but she did. She knew about it already.

"I know. I found out the second night we were with you."

"How?"

"Your friends talk, everyone talks. I don't see why you're so afraid; you control your own soul Allen. Nothing and no one can control your soul because it's yours. People may try, try to get into your mind and sway your faith in yourself but don't let them. All they can do is try to harm you through their words and actions but you, you are your own person. If you fight, fight for yourself because of yourself. Find someone who is willing to stand beside you, fight beside you not in front of you and if needed, someone who will allow you to fight for yourself."

Those words, they meant so much to him.

"You don't mind?"

Kagome laughed, it was soft yet echoing throughout the room.

"No, I don't mind. I have been in contact with a Noah before; he was dying and wanted to send his memories into someone else. He was sad but not evil. It was heartbreaking, he was so concerned about his older brother, and he kept saying how he didn't want his brother to die. It was different, a Noah is supposed to have control over their emotions, their drive and yet, this Noah did not. They are normally selfish and sadistic toward the human race, he cared."

Allen stared at Kagome with such relief. He didn't know what he would have done if she had feared him like all the others had. He didn't have any choice in how he was born but people still feared and treated him differently. Sometimes he just wanted to stay in his room and find peace in nothingness but he didn't get that. For so long, no one would leave him alone because they feared he would betray them. The order even had someone follow him. He felt so alone for so long, no one would come to speak to him without having some type of fear in their eyes. It was hard; he was almost ready to give up.


	3. In The Darkness

In the Darkness

It had been two years since the Higurashi siblings had come to the Order. The Millennium Earl had gotten serious, sending hundreds of Akuma toward the Headquarters. It was a good thing that they had the siblings; they were powerful and had created a barrier around their new home. Many of the Exorcists now had a necklace or a piece of jewelry that they wore and it protected them. The Earl had been furious and it showed by the amount of attacks he had thrown at all the innocent people. It hadn't worked too well for him. Several members from the clan of Noah had lost their power and their lives, the only ones who weren't being attacked by the Higurashi siblings were Tyki and Road. They had helped Allen at one point or another and in several cases, just injured him when they could have killed him. Souta had grown into a very handsome young man; it was what they called the curse of the Higurashi name. Both he and Kagome had grown up and grown very beautiful. Their blue eyes were piercing and the power called to so many. Souta had been given a uniform very similar to Lavi while his sister had been given a uniform close to that of the shrine. She had refused to wear the exorcist uniform for so long that they finally allowed her to wear one that showed that although she was an exorcist, she was also a shrine priestess. It settled so many people's minds that it was ridiculous. The twenty four finders had proven their worth. They were not like the finders they had had before, they were sneaky and sometimes downright criminal but they got the job done. The other exorcists had a hard time accepting these new finders, even more when the Higurashi siblings had done the same thing too.

"Good morning Souta-kun." Lenalee had called out.

As always when he was at Headquarters, he sat down with the largest amount of food, being a parasite accommodator, he used so much energy that he ate more than a normal person could and world except for other parasite accommodators. The Order now had several and with each new accommodator that they found, the higher the consumption level was discovered. Kagome was out into the field, normally Souta would have been with her but he had been injured during their last scrimmage with the Millennium Earl and his so happy family. It was but a scratch though that didn't matter. Kagome had forbid him to leave the Headquarters and to get some well deserved rest and relaxation. Souta as well as many others knew better than to question or argue with Kagome, she was fierce in her immense desire to protect those closest to her. Some of the lucky ones were Reever, he and Kagome had become close friends as well as Miranda and Lavi. Allen and her were partners, they were found to be the most compatible with each other and their skills by themselves were strong but together, they were damn near unstoppable. Komui still annoyed Kagome, she didn't like him all too much but respected his position and Lenalee, well, she stayed away from Kagome. Her emotions were too connected that everyone was hers, so she felt very jealous of the young exorcist.

Souta looked up from his meal, cocked an eyebrow and went back to eating. He didn't like Lenalee very much either, she was very clingy to people. Most males did like her because to them she was easy to get along with. He knew that Lenalee was jealous of his sister. Even though she was a hard ass, stubborn, quiet and unsociable, she was beautiful and exotic. People feared his sister but lusted after her looks and her power. Sometimes, Souta just wanted to smack his sister. The people here weren't trying to cause her any harm or trying to separate them. He wouldn't allow it and he knew for a fact that his sister would bring this place to the ground if they tried it. He had an easier time making friends and finding relationships within the Order. All his life his sister had protected him in both mind, body and spirit as well as emotionally. She protected his heart but no one was able to protect hers so she had hardened her heart almost to the point that it was like lead.

"Hey Souta!"

He turned his head and saw Lavi; he liked Lavi even if he was like of a pervert. He reminded Souta of his cousin, Miroku except that Lavi didn't grope anyone's body. Sometimes, he really missed Miroku and Sango. They were the closest he had to parents. He had been too young to really remember his parents, he remembered his grandparents because of the training he had gone through. They gave him nightmares. At least they had something to remember their cousins, the cat, Kirara stayed with Kagome to be her guard. It had been a shock to the Order, he remembered because Kirara was a demon, something they didn't think was alive. He thought that was weird, they believed in the Millennium Earl but not demons.

"Hiya Lavi." Souta replied.

It was easier talking to Souta than it was talking to Kagome. After their first encounter, Kagome deemed Lavi as a nuisance and a pervert. She didn't spend time getting to know him other than his skill as a Bookman. It didn't help that she was always out in the field and they hardly ever spent time together. Souta spent more time with Lavi and Kanda than anyone else, Kagome had deemed Kanda as a person to trust. He knew that Kagome trusted Kanda since, though he was an ass, he was dedicated and counted each and every single person as his responsibility. It probably was because Kagome had defeated Kanda during a sword match. Lavi was sort of jealous of Kanda as well as Allen, Kagome trusted them with her life. That was not easy to do, to have her trust but even with that trust, only Allen was able to keep her company. They were partners, their skill together were amazing. No one, not the Millennium Earl or the Noah family had been able to defeat the two of them.

"Is Kagome on a mission?"

Souta gave him a sour look.

"Of course, when is she not on a mission?"

"So, why are you here then? You and Kanda were supposed to go with her and Allen right?"

He got a glare.

"Of course but the last mission, I got hurt and Kanda almost died on his mission. Kagome said we had to stay here, she wanted me to heal and to get some rest."

Lavi winced, he knew of Kagome's overprotective behavior. He had been on the end of that once and although it made him feel good to know that she cared, he hadn't been allowed to go on any missions or to train. It was boring.

"Well, better do as she says. The next mission will be hard, you know your sister."

Souta sighed but could only nod.

"Next time, I hope you come with us. It had been fun."

Lavi gave Souta a weird look. It hadn't been fun at all, the amount of fighting they did and the traveling. It had been hell but he had seen the skill Kagome had and he was amazed. She was powerful. Not once did she flaunt that she was intelligent or that she was powerful. In fact, if you hadn't seen her fight at all, you would have thought she was very weak.

…Flashback…

It had been a rough month, it was cold being the middle of January, and it was hard to see five inches in front of your nose. There were several exorcists, of course Allen and Kagome were there, they had been partners since Kagome had joined the Order a year and two months ago. The others were Lavi, Krory and Miranda. For the last week, they had been trapped in a rundown shack. It wasn't too small but there wasn't much room for five people, no privacy really. Lavi, Miranda and Krory had gotten wood for their group when the storm had calmed down. Kagome had said that most times, the wind and snow will calm for a short while but then, it picks back up again and twice as bad. She had been right and Lavi had been so grateful that Allen had spent so much time with Kagome and knew what to do in times of a crisis. For so long he had thought she was paranoid and that was why she acted the way she did. Good thing, they had gathered so much wood that if they burned it wisely, it would last for a month. The wildlife had been calm but plentiful. Allen and Kagome came back with several rabbits and even an elk for them to eat as well as a boar the next time they had gone to hunt. With the meat prepared and dried, they would be well fed for a while. The snow was pure so they didn't have to worry about water, clean water that is. The only worry was about wastes, where would they put them?

"When is this storm going to end?!" Lavi said loudly.

"Keep your voice down, others will find us." Kagome said harshly.

Miranda had become friends with Kagome; the woman was patient with her instructions and teachings. She didn't mind that Miranda got lost a lot and couldn't walk ten steps without falling and or breaking something. In fact, Kagome thought Miranda was just unsure about herself. Coming from her past, it was an easy deduction. People always thought badly first, which then meant that others would see that as well. Miranda believed what everyone else believed in. She was a clumsy woman who couldn't do anything right without help. Kagome thought that if Miranda just believed in herself, she could and would do what was needed of her.

"But, we're in the middle of nowhere."

"The reason we are out here is to find the innocence and its accommodator who have been attacked by Akuma. We found the innocence, the accommodator died and the Akuma are still out there."

Allen sat close to Kagome, many thought they were an item but both denied it. Even though they both denied being together as a couple, they were no doubt closer to each other than to anyone else. When they first were trapped in this shack, Allen and Kagome had gone through a routine that had shocked everyone else. Lavi and Miranda could only stare as the two of them created a bath area, a changing area and bedding for the two of them. It seemed as though this happened quite often. When they had been questioned, Kagome said that it was cheaper to live out in the wilderness than in the towns and safer. The Akuma would go after them since they were exorcists and not the innocent people in the towns. That had made sense but after the first night, they had second guesses. Lavi and Krory were shocked when Allen and Kagome lay next to each other, back to back and in the morning, Allen was holding Kagome around her waist and she lay with her head on his chest. They didn't seem embarrassed or shocked; it was just another thing to them.

"Do you think the storm is Akuma made or just natural?" Krory asked.

"Natural. This area is famous for its snowstorms, sometimes they can last for months." Lavi said.

"We've been stuck here for weeks!" Miranda cried out. "How much longer!?"

"Calm down Miranda, we've only been here for a week." Allen said calmly.

He watched as Kagome tried to fix some of the worn blankets. There had been ripped curtains hanging on the windows and they needed them but at the same time, they needed to have cover. It would be pointless for them to be unprotected from Akuma who could just peek through a window and see them. Allen hadn't wanted Kagome to make a barrier, the Akuma would just keep attacking it, and he didn't want her to tire from her spirit energy. Watching Kagome as she sewed together the curtains as well as some of their blankets, it made him feel warm. He loved when they were camping on their missions, it was just the two of them to work together and they were alone. They didn't have to hear people talking or doing any activities throughout the day. It was peaceful, calm. He liked the calm; it was different from being at the Order. There were people everywhere; the science department always had experiments going on. There was no alone time, no time to just be with Kagome. Sometimes Souta came with them on missions but the times that it was just the two of them, he loved those the most. Even when the missions were dangerous and the fighting was crazy and brutal, it still made him feel good to be with just her. The ideas that shot through his mind, it made him feel so at ease. He liked the fact that with just Kagome, it felt like they were a couple and playing house. She would cook for him and he would help her bring in the hunt. Now, he was able to hunt for them, pick out fresh herbs and vegetables, and sometimes fruit if they were lucky.

"It seems longer." She muttered.

Allen rolled his eyes and walked over to where Kagome was. They needed to talk about the next task they had to accomplish. The two of them worked so well together because there was a level of trust that went beyond what they each had with others. He sat down and pulled out a notebook. It was a written text on all the attacks they had been able to combine together as well as the progress each made. He had been amazed each time he read through this book. Sneaking a peak at the others around them, he wanted to sigh. They were staring at the two of them, it was creepy. Turning his head, he looked at Kagome; she didn't seem to care or mind. Sometimes, just sometimes, he wished that she would be more open with other people. She was only sixteen, too young to be so serious, too cautious. He wouldn't lie, he liked the fact that Kagome really only trusted him other than her brother. He liked the fact that he was the person she turned to when things were too hectic in their lives and when she felt like she couldn't take another step forward. It was him that held her at night and it was him that she cried upon. They were connected somehow in a way that Allen really didn't mind. In the two years that they had been friends and then partners, he felt as though he loved her and he knew that in her own way, she loved him too.

"What do you think? Will we be able to leave soon?" Allen whispered to Kagome.

"Probably not, I think we'll be here a while." Kagome whispered back.

Lavi watched these two very closely. In fact, his eyes hurt because he had been afraid to blink and something would have changed. Sighing, he knew that no matter what, they would not trust him enough to tell him if anything was going on and when he had asked Allen, all he got was a cold look and a chilling message to leave them alone. It was true, it wasn't any of his business but still, he was curious about them. Looking to his left, he saw the younger brother, Souta, lying on a thin pallet. The young boy had gotten hurt when they had been running away from the Akuma. There had been so many and although he was hurt, he hadn't been the worst one. Allen had been hurt even more; he protected both Souta and Kagome, almost to the point that he would have lost his life if Kagome hadn't stepped in. She was amazing, the power and the emotion that had been brought out because of Allen's sacrifice. It hadn't mattered though; her healing skills had brought him close to being perfectly healed. He was amazed.

"How is Souta doing?" Miranda asked.

For the last week, every hour she asked about Souta. He was also someone other than Kagome and Allen who accepted her as she was. He always sat down next to her in the cafeteria when they were both there together and he always tried to help train her with her power and her fighting abilities. With Kagome it was so different than when Souta trained with her. For one, Kagome was strict and sometimes downright evil in her training. Souta took a more hands on training in where he would guide her through all the routines. Miranda knew that she liked Souta's training instead of Kagome's. At least with Souta, she was up the next day instead of the next week.

"He's resting. His physical body is fine but his spirit is still repairing itself. He might still be down for another week or so." Allen said.

"So we're just going to be waiting here?!" Kyori exclaimed.

Kagome stopped what she was doing, turned toward the others who were huddled together shaking. She looked at Allen who sat there without his jacket; it was draped over her shoulders. His arms were crossed in front of him as he looked at their companions. He didn't seem uncomfortable, yet everyone else seemed to be freezing. Moving off of the bed, she made her way toward their supplies. There wasn't much meat left so they would have to go hunting and they would need more snow to have water. Kagome picked up several logs to burn, it wouldn't do much if they froze to death before finishing their mission. It wasn't done until they brought the innocence back to headquarters. She grabbed another shirt from her bag and ripped it. She had made two blankets with the clothes that both herself and Allen had packed and now, she was making a third. Kagome knew that the boys slept near each other while she and Allen slept near each other. Miranda had been sleeping next to Souta but they were still so cold. It was like the temperatures were dropping lower and lower the past couple of nights.

"We have to wait here, we have no other choice. If we try to trek across toward the nearest village, we'll freeze to death."

Everyone turned toward Kagome; she had in her hands the extra blankets she had made. She looked a little funny, drowning in Allen's jacket. She was by far, the smallest of all of them. Allen was 5'5", the same as Souta but Kagome; she stayed at 5'2". Her body structure was lithe, curvy but thin.

"You made these?" Lavi asked.

"Of course, what do you think I've been doing?"

"Where did you get the material?" Miranda asked.

"Out of Allen's and my pack, what's the use of having extra clothes if we all freeze to death?"

Miranda looked at Kagome with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Kagome-chan. Thank you so much."

Kagome just gave her a small smile; it had been the first time that Lavi or Krory had seen her even attempt to give one. They both thought that her smile made her even more beautiful.

"Tomorrow, we're going to have to get more wood as well as go hunting. Our supplies are running a bit low."

Miranda looked at Lavi and nodded. If Kagome said that they needed to get more supplies then that is what they would do. She hadn't led them wrong yet and in fact, if it hadn't been for Kagome, they would probably be popsicles already. Miranda watched Kagome and Allen very closely, for so long she had romantic feelings toward Allen. He had been the first person who believed in her and the first to thank her for help. It had been heartbreaking, at first, to see the relationship between Allen and Kagome. They said that they weren't in a relationship and that they were just partners but watching them, she knew differently. Maybe they didn't see it or accept it yet but they were so good together. As she watched both Allen and Kagome, she gave a small sad smile. She wished that she could find someone who watched her back like that or gave her the same attention Allen gave Kagome.

"Hey Miranda." Lavi whispered.

She turned toward him with questioning eyes.

"Have you noticed things between those two?"

"Of course I have."

Lavi looked back at Allen and saw that he had taken the needle and thread from Kagome's hands. That girl had worked so hard the last week, even more worried so much because of the Akuma attacks as well as her little brother. The way that Allen's hand stayed upon Kagome's or the way he looked at her. Lavi knew that Allen had feelings, maybe he didn't know how to process those feelings or not but they were there. Of course with the way their lives were, settling down and having a family was slim to none. Just watching the two of them, he felt like he was committing a lewd act. The emotion between those two, it was so blissful to watch but at the same time, it was uncomfortable. It was like he was barging inside of a personal moment, an intimate moment. If only moments like these lasted for longer than a few hours, if only they weren`t fighting for their lives all the time. He stared at their entwined hands, he noticed that Allen was always finding ways to touch her or she him. It was, he dare say, cute. They worked well together, almost perfect and they were similar. She was cursed and he had been cursed. They were both parasite accommodators and they both felt immense loss in their earlier childhood.

"What do you make of it?" He asked.

Miranda's eyes went back to watching the two of them. She saw the connection between the two and she could tell that they did feel something for the other but why didn't they just express it? Was it because they were there with them or maybe it was because they didn't want to lose the balance they had with each other if the relationship went south? She didn't know but she did know that there was something between them. She had seen some couples in the Order but she didn't know any of them that had the same type of connection that these two had. It was so amazing to watch. Her eyes shifted toward Souta. He had gotten upset that they hadn't decided to move forward into a relationship like that. He thought that they shouldn't hold back because of the line of work they all did. You never know when your time is up.

"I think that they'll go at their own pace."

"Probably, they are different."

Allen knew what they were talking about and he didn't mind their talking. He knew the type of relationship they had and knew that although they were close, they hadn't talked about moving in that direction. For him, he would wait until she was ready and even if she decided that she didn't want that, he would make sure that she knew she was loved. He wasn't a fool, she was beautiful and in his eyes, she was perfect. He knew that he could trust her with his life, hell, he put his life in her hands every day. They were partners and they were confidents. There wasn't a mission that they didn't do together, at first they were put together because that was just how it seemed to work out but now, especially after the incident where they were able to match and combine their power together, it was just a way of life. Allen lay Kagome down against the wall of the shack they were all in and cuddled behind her. He tried to keep her as warm as he could, especially when she gave everyone else the blankets and extra coats. He sighed, his and Kagome's coats were their blankets but he knew that she still froze. She was such a tiny person and so selfless that she didn't think about her own needs so he would think about her needs instead. He would keep her safe and comfortable.

"Sleep well Kagome."

"You too." She whispered back.

It had been a few more days until Souta was well enough to leave. It was so antsy and ready to just leave the little shack behind him. To Souta, it was the most boring recovery that he could ever remember, which wasn't much since he hardly ever got hurt. His dear sister fussed over him constantly and wanted to make extra sure that he was well enough and strong enough to move forward and to deal with anything that comes their way. She had told him that she refused to let him get any more injured than he already was and that she needed to make sure he was strong enough to stand on his own two feet and not lean on her. Souta knew not to feel bad or down because that was just the way that Kagome was. She pushed you to do your best for you and not anyone else. If you aren't at your best and push yourself to be your best then chances are, you're going to fail. You have to be at a 100% to go at 100%.

"I told you already. I'm fine!" Souta said.

Kagome looked at him and without blinking, swung at him. Souta was slower than normal and although he blocked; she got really close to face.

"Okay, so I'm not all there but I'm well enough to move forward."

"What happens when we get attacked, are you going to be ready then?"

Souta gave his sister a sour look but consented. He knew that she was right, she was always right but it was still hard for him to just lay there. He wanted to know that he could help his sister that he could be a benefit to her. As he grew up he had always had his sister take care of him and love him and he saw when she suffered because of it. He wanted to protect his sister and show her that she could always lean on him if she ever needed to. Laying down, he watched his sister. He loved her with everything that he had, she was all he had left. For so long it had just been him and his dear sister and they were in charge of keeping everyone safe but for her, she took on another job. Her job was to keep him safe. He knew that if it came down to it, she would save him first and then work to save others. She would lay her life down for him but he didn't want that.

"Keep the barrier up, I have a feeling that we'll be having some unwelcomed guests." Souta said.

His sister nodded and walked out the door. She gave him a backward wave as she disappeared into the storm. He grumbled about not being a small child anymore but worried over the face that he knew what he felt and he knew that if she wasn't careful, things could go very south in this mission.

"I will follow, Lavi, can you get more wood for us?"

"Sure thing Allen."

"Thanks."

It had been thing that Allen had followed Kagome. Two Akuma had felt her power and had come to destroy her. They weren't a match for both her and Allen but they had tried. Souta had freaked out when Allen came walking back into the hut with Kagome in his arms. She was unhurt but she also looked very upset. It wasn't Allen's fault that she was always getting in trouble but this was getting ridiculous. They were still stuck in this hut and they were running out of supplies. If things didn't change, they would die out here.

"Well, at least we have fresh supplies." Miranda said with a smile.

Kagome couldn't help but give a small smile to Miranda; she had such a good attitude.

"You're right but we need to get out of here. The Akuma are getting closer to our hut and once they reach the ofuda, they will know we're here and then, we'll be in trouble."

Souta nodded. He wished he healed faster though.

"We'll leave when Souta is fully healed and we're ready."

For days Souta trained with his sister. The training that they put each other through was, to outsiders, suicidal. The amount of pain and damage these two siblings did to each other was harsh but Kagome was a harsh mistress. She didn't play around, she didn't give chances and she didn't believe in taking it easy either. She always said that the enemy would not take it easy on you just because you don't feel well. It made sense and they couldn't disagree with her train of thought but still, to do this to one another was just wrong. Looking out at the two siblings train with one another they had to say that the amount of strength that they were building was phenomenal. They were getting stronger, faster and more accurate. It wasn't as though they were just beating each other up, it was that they were building each other up. They knew that if in a fight with the Earl, those two would be able to push the Earl into a retreat. The sheer amount of power they had without their innocence was tremendous, they did have holy power.

"We leave tomorrow morning before daylight. We need to get the innocence to headquarters."

Everyone nodded and got ready to break their camp down. As much as they had hated it here, they did learn and train in ways that opened so much more to them. As a single person, they were stronger but as a group, they were almost whole. It would take much to get them down on their knees if they kept with each other. Kagome led everyone through the forest and into town. Her barrier kept the Akuma from sensing them. It was a good thing too, they had passed by many of them. The fact that the Earl had sent so many was mind boggling. Either he really wanted the innocence or he wanted to get rid of Kagome and Souta as well as Allen. The world had changed and the tide of the war was getting better for them. With the way Kagome and Allen were able to combine attacks, it probably made him very worried. Hell, if Allen and Kagome were against them, they would have been very worried as well. Many people thought that by keeping them together, it was a gamble for them. They would do well and their loyalty would be to the order or that because they worked with each other and probably had a close bond, that they would only be loyal to each other.

…End Flashback…

"So, when do you think she'll be back?"

Souta sighed as he pushed his food around. It was always hard on him when she wasn't here or he wasn't with her.

"Probably by the end of the week at least, you know how she is." Souta said.

Just then, the doors to the cafeteria burst open. Several finders were rushing to grab their comrades. They had worried looks on their faces. Standing, both Souta and Lavi rushed out with them. It was never a good sign with the finders looked scared. It usually meant that an accommodator was injured or worse, dead. Souta peeked around and his eyes widened in fear. There laying on a stretcher was Kagome and Allen. They were all bloodied and were unconscious.

"What happened!?" He shouted.

Naraku came forward, he too was injured. In his arms were three containers of innocence. It was the innocence that his sister was sent out to gather. He rushed toward Naraku and looked up at him. He needed answers. What had happened out there? Why was his sister wounded as badly as she was?

"We were ambushed as we were on our way back. The mission itself was easy, we were able to extract and bring the innocence back but Kagome wanted to stop in town to grab a few things. She and Allen went to eat lunch after retrieving everything we needed. They were attacked by the Akuma that were hiding in the restaurant and truthfully, some of them were quite powerful."

Souta narrowed his eyes.

"There is no way that Kagome would walk into a place that had Akuma hiding. She and Allen would have been able to sense them."

Naraku sighed.

"They did sense them, that's why they went into the restaurant."

Souta's eyes fell back to his sister. She looked as though she were sleeping wrapped in Allen's arms. It would have been a perfect picture if they weren't covered in blood. He knew that his sister was strong, hell, she was the strongest woman he knew but even with her strength and her skills. The amount of Akuma she had fought and some with the levels that they had, he knew that she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon and with Allen laying next to her in the condition that he was in, he wouldn't be up for a while. All they could do is wait and see how things looked because right now, it wasn't looking good. With a sigh, he watched as several finders moved Allen and Kagome to the medical areas. There wasn't much that anyone could do for them, just to let them rest. It irritated Souta to know that his sister was hurt. It irritated him even more to know that he hadn't been there by her side as she fought. Maybe then, maybe she wouldn't have gotten in so much trouble. He could remember his mother telling Kagome how she was a trouble magnet.

It had taken two months before Kagome or Allen had woken up. They were so drained and injured that their bodies had forced themselves into a coma. All around them, people were running back and forth. They had been updated on all the activity that had happened when they were unconscious. Kagome had to deal with a frantic and upset Souta, which was never a good thing. He cried, yelled, hugged her and paced as he ranted. Kagome just watched him with patient eyes. She knew how much he hated not being there with her and watching her back. He feared that one day, she would die and leave him by himself. She understood because she feared the same thing. It was a reason why they normally went on missions together. Kagome turned and looked at Allen, she was grateful that he was there with her. He made an amazing partner. The one thing that had always pushed her to survive was the thought about her brother. She didn't want to leave him alone; all they had were each other. She would fight with all of her soul before she allowed herself to leave this plane without knowing her brother was safe.


End file.
